Global warming debates – the
reading course
Our emails and phone numbers: course web page.
Course web page: readings, guidance, announcements, check often:
Requirements: attend all course meetings, read the assigned readings
for each class, write a one-page summary of the assigned readings
before each class (single space, 12pt). In addition, each student should
prepare to lead the discussion, with an accompanying presentation, in a
few class meetings. Guidance and help regarding these tasks will be
provided throughout the term.
Grading: attendance, participation, weekly written reports, discussionleading presentations.
Writing assignment
Please write a one-page summary of the assigned readings before each
class (single space, 12pt), to be handed at the beginning of class.
Discuss all assigned papers, summarizing the authors position, and the
main facts on which it is based. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses
of their observations, analysis and conclusions.
Conclude with a brief reasoned statement of your own position.
Presentation guidelines - discussion
The purpose of the presentation is one – to induce a discussion. As
soon as a discussion develops, you have achieved your goal – do not be
concerned with completing your presentation, sit back and relax. Do
not feel obliged to answer all questions, let others participate…
Slides:
• Start with a brief background/ motivation, not from assigned reading
• Show all figures from all assigned papers early in presentation – good
way to get a discussion going, because class is familiar with these.
• Font – never below 24 points
• On each slide: title, graphics, explanation, brief take-home message.
• Discuss the weaknesses and strengths of the assigned papers
• Conclude with a summary of the debate as represented by the papers
• Alternate presenting in class every 1-2 slides, rather than mid-way
• About 30-35 slides.
• Avoid slides with text and no figures/ graphics (bullet point lists etc),
A descriptive title
•
•
•
yellow: …
red: …
Black: …
caption, explaining
exactly what’s shown in
the figure including both
axes and all lines, etc
A brief take home message. Everything on slide in 24 points or larger
Presentation guidelines: introduction
The purpose of the 10-minute intro presentation is (1) introduce and
motivate next week’s discussion. (2) clarify difficult to understand issues
in the reading material, to make it easier for the other students to
understand the readings.
Slides:
Six slides, see guidelines for discussion presentation
Another course requirement:
Snacks…
A summary of the points made by
“The great global warming swindle”
The great global warming swindle: 1/3
1. We are told that global warming is proved beyond any doubt – lies!
2. “I believe in global warming, but not that it’s us or CO2”.
3. There were period with 10 times as much CO2, we should see the
consequences in the geologic record
4. None of the major climate changes of the last 1000 years can be
explained by CO2
5. The current warming is due to coming out of the little ice age (1600)
6. Medieval warm period (1200) was a time of prosperity
7. Most warming occurred in the early 20 century, before CO2 (11:30)
8. CO2 forms only a very small part of the earth’s atmosphere (ppm)
9. CO2 never drove climate in the past
10. Nothing special about current climate, Earth temp always changing
11. CO2 is a very minor greenhouse gas, much smaller than water vapor
12. mid-tropospheric warming expected in theory but not found in data
 warming happened at wrong time (early 20c) and place (surface)
The great global warming swindle: 2/3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Ice cores show that temperature leads CO2 by 800 years
Humans are a minute effect relative to the sun…
Solar activity/ sun spots very strongly correlated with temperature
Sun affects cloud formation via the modulation of cosmic rays
In the 70s, experts warned of a global ice age coming soon
Climate models are based on hundreds of assumptions, all it takes is
for one assumption to be wrong, and the forecast is useless
7. All models assume that CO2 is the main cause for climate change,
rather than the sun or clouds.
8. Warming  smaller EPTD  less storminess, not more hurricanes
9. You can get anything with a model by tweaking a parameter
10. Models give wild speculation the appearance of respectable science
The great global warming swindle: 3/3
1. Sea level rises only because of warming, not melting, will take a very
long time.
2. Tropical diseases (Malaria) wont spread northward: mosquitoes are
not tropical. There were serious malaria breakouts in Russia.
3. Greenland was much warmer 1000 years ago, and did not melt
4. Permafrost under Russian forests melted much more 7000yrs ago
5. Ice in Antarctica always breaks off and melts, news only because of
satellite data. Ice is always moving. Happens every spring.
The great global warming swindle: politics
1.
2.
3.
4.
There is no consensus among climate scientists
The IPCC and its final conclusions are political
Climate scientists needs [the] problem in order to get funding
Margaret Thatcher didn’t trust mid-east oil&coal workers, promoted
nuclear power,  offered funding to global warming scientists…
5. Environmentalists won all their battles, needed to remain
revolutionary, therefore adopted global warming as a new agenda
6. Social activists needed new tool against capitalism, post communism
7. Lots of money poured into the research area, attracted people
whose only interest was global warming
8. Principles of journalism abandoned because with no global warming
environmental journalists will loose their jobs
9. IPCC reports distorted in a way inconsistent with peer review,
without coauthor approval.
10. Global warming is a new religion opponents are viewed as heretics
11. Policies against global warming have a disastrous effect on the poor
The great global warming swindle: politics
1. “Precautionary approach” not looking at the dangers of acting
against global warming: dangers of life without cheep electricity …
2. If the rich developed world cannot afford expensive sustainable
energy, neither can the developing world.